Transfer needle for knitting machines



March 11, 1952 R. E. ZERUNEITH 2,583,451

TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1949 B ShOGtS-Shet 1 as 59* INVENTOR.

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TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 F INVENTOR.

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TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 00/ 15. Zr? 0/26/76 29 29. F

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March 11, 1952 I R. E. ZERUNEITH 2,588,451

TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1949 a sheets-sheet 5 r .31. F.3 4 F .351 .30. 9 a, an,

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TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 IN VEN TOR.

Rude/ ob E. Zerune/zfz By W Patented Mar. 11, 1952 TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Rudolph E. Zeruneith,Philadelphia, Pa.

Application August 30, 1949, Serial No. 113,096

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful transfer-needles for knitting machines having two banks of needles and, more particularly, for circular knitting machines having a bank of cylinder needles and a bank of dial needles, and has for its object the more ready and more trouble-free transfer of stitches from one bank of needles to the other bank, when such transfer is desired for purposes of effecting variations in the knitted fabric.

In the prior-art of stitch-transfer mechanisms and transfer needles, the practice has been, among others, to provide a cam-surface on the side of the needle, extending substantially across the entire side, over which the needle in the other needle-bank may ride (for the transfer operation), and in which the cam-surface so formed on the needle has a counterpart on the other side of the needle in the form of a bulge extending substantially across the other side face of the needle, as, for instance, that illustrated in U. S. Patent 2,292,940.

This required (among other things) the sacrificing of the continuous or adequate needlesupport, because of the necessity of eliminating the needle-guide slot (in the cylinder-bed or in the dial-bed) at a point beyond the position of such needle-carried cam in the retracted position of the needle, because the bulging side of the needle (where the cam is formed) cannot enter the needle-guide slot.

In other forms of stitch-transfer mechanisms of the prior-art, the needles were provided with spring-clips on the needles, attached to the sides of the needles, or extra jacks (having such spring-clip formation) were placed alongside of each needle, for the purpose of opening the stitch laterally in alignment with the needle of the other bank, so that the needle of such other bank could enter the loop so held open.

The stitch-transfer needles of the present invention have a laterally projecting, longitudinally disposed loop-spreading bridge or rib along the front edge-zone of the needle with the portion of the main body of the needle adjacent to said bridge or rib not extending laterally out of the main plane of the needle-body, said bridge or rib being of a width substantially less than the width of the needle across the side-face thereof so as to leave a substantial portion of the width of the needle (intermediate said bridge and the rear edge of the needle) wholly unoccupied by said bridge or rib, the upper and lower ends of said bridge or rib merging into the main body of the needle and being generally 2 immovably connected therewith, and a. transverse loop-engaging shoulder on said bridge or rib intermediate the ends thereof and generally in the zone of the maximum lateral projection of the bridge or rib.

The stitch-transfer needles of the present invention may also include other (features of construction, as, for instance, a camming surface or surfaces formed on the portion of the needlebody adjacent to said bridge or rib, on the same side of the needle as the side from which said rib or bridge projects, said camming surface or surfaces reducing the thickness of the needlebody and serving to deflect the hook-end of the stitch-receiving needle of the other bank onto the side of the transfer-needle from which the rib or bridge projects, so that the hook of such stitch-receiving needle may be advanced across the side-face of the stitch-transfer needle beneath said rib or bridge and then be cammed up onto said bridge or rib as the stitch-transfer needle is withdrawn while the receiving needle is in its advanced position.

The stitch-transfer needles of the present invention also include still other features which will appear more fully from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings. 7

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present'p'referred, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organizations of' the' instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings in'which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Figure 1 represents a side-elevational'view of a'stitch-transfer needle of one embodiment of the present invention; including a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the needle-bed supporting the stitch-transfer needle.

Figure 2 represents a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing an oil-set asymmetric relationship between fore-cut and needle-groove, constituting another phase of my present invention.

Figure 3 represents a front-elevational view of the upper portion of the needle of Figure 1.

Figure 4 represents a side-elevational view of the upper portion of the needle of Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 5 represents a rear-elevational view of the upper portion of the needle of Figures 1, 3 and 4.

Figure 6 represents a side-elevational view of the stitch-transfer needle shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, but showing the face thereof which is opposite to the face shown in Figures 1 and 4.

Figure 7 represents a side-elevational view of the upper portion of a stitch-transfer needle showing another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 8 represents a front-elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 represents a rear-elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 10 represents a side-elevational view of the upper part of a stitch-transfer needle of another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 11 represents a front-elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12 represents a rear-elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figures 10 and 11.

Figure 13 represents a side-elevational View of the upper part of a stitch needle of another emdimen f t Prese i e n- Figure M represents a front-elevational view of the embodiment shown in FigurelB.

Figure 15 represents a rear-elevational view, taken generally along line l l5 of Figure 13, of the embodiment shown in Figures 13 and 14.

Figure 16 represents a fragmentary side-elevational view of a (cyl inder-borne) stitch-transfer needle of the embodiment shown in Figures 13, Hand 15, with the operative end of a (dialborne) stitch-receiving needle shown in four successive positions of the stitch-transfer cycle.

Figure 17 represents a perspective view of another stitch-transfer needle of my invention.

Figure 18 represents a fragmentary front-elevational view ofthe needle shown in Figure 17.

Figure l9 representsa fragmentary side-ele vational view of theneedle shown in Figures 17 and 18, viewed in the direction of line l9l9 of Fi u 1 V a 7 Figure 20 represents afragmentary side-elevational view of the needle shown in Figures 17, 18 and 19, viewed on line 23-28 of Figure 18.

. Figure 21 represents a top planviewof a fragmentary portion of a cylinder-needle bank adapted to receive stitch-transfer needles like thoseof Figures 17, 18,19 and 20 (oradapted to receive. stitch-transfer needles like those shown in Figures 25 to 29, inclusive), showing one such stitch-transfer needledis posed therein, showing the relationship of the loop-spreading bridge of the stitch-transfer needle to the fore-cut and to the needle-groove of theneedle bed. v

Figure22 represents an elevational view of a fragmentary portion of the cylinder-needle bed, viewed generally along line 22 22 of Figure 21 (Figure 22 being, in a sense, a development view, so as to make the face of the needle-bed appear as thoughit were in a single plane rather than being curved) V i r 'Figure 23 represents a view on line 23-23 of F u 2 A Figure24 represents a cross-sectional view of the needle-bed, similar to the view shown in Figure 23, but with the needle removed and with the view being on a scale substantially smaller than the scale to which Figures 22 and 23 are drawn, so as to permit Figure 24 to encompass the full length of the needle-groove of the needlebed.

Figure 25 represents a fra mentary and perspective view of the upper portion of another embodiment of the stitch-transfer needle of the present invention, being a modification or another embodiment of the invention shown more particularly in Figures 17 to 24, inclusive.

Figure 26 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a stitch-transfer needle similar to that shown in Figure 25, but having a camming surface along the rear edge thereof opposite the loopspreading bridge.

Figure 27 represents a fragmentary front-elevational view of the needle shown in Figure 26.

Figure 23 represents a side-elevational view of the needle shown in Figure 26, taken generally on line 28-28 of Figure 27.

Figure 29 represents a fragmentary side-elevational view of the needle shown in Figures 26 and 28, taken generally along line 2929 of Figure 27.

Figure 30 represents a top plan view, similar to that shown in Figures 2 and 21, showing the disposition of a stitch-transfer needle of the kind shown in Figures 26 to 29, inclusive, in a needlebed.

Figure 31 represents a fragmentary side-elevational view, similar to that shown in Figure 28, drawn to a scale ten times actual size, showing an illustrative layout and development of another form or embodiment of loop-spreading or stitchspreading rib or bridge.

Figure 32 represents an edge-elevational view of the same illustrative layout as that shown in Figure 31, viewed generally along line 32-32 of Figure 31. n I

Figure 33 represents a section on line 3333 of Figure 32, showing also the manner of milling the camming surface on the rear edge of the needle-body.

Figure 34 represents a side-elevational view of the needle, the layout of which is shown in Figures 31, 32 and 33 but shown on a smaller scale (twice actual size) and showing the entire needle.

Figure 35 represents an edge-elevational view of the needle shown in Figure 34, viewed generally along line 3535 of Figure 34.

Figure 36 represents, aperspective view of a modified embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 37 represents an edge-elevational view of the bridge-portion of the embodiment shown in Figure 36.

Figure 38 represents a side-elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figures 36 and 37, along line 3838 of Figure 37.

Figure ,39 represents an opposite side-elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figures 36, 37 and 38 along line 3939 of Figure 37.

Figure 40 represents an edge-e evational view of a modified embodiment of my invention.

Figure 41 represents a side-elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figure 40.

In the aecompanying drawings, the fragmentary portion of a cylinder needle bed is represented by the part marked 3!, having the needle slots or grooves 32 therein, which are adapted to .receive the needles, and are of a width just suificient slidably to receive the thickness of the needle (indicated by the arrows 33) In the embodiment or phase of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 16, inclusive, the stitchtransfer needle has an off-set loop-spreading rib designated generally by the numeral 34, pressed out of the body of the needle along the off-set front edge 35 thereof; said rib having a lower, longitudinal portion 38. The three portions '38, 31 and 38 are continuous, in relation to each other.

7 I The upper longitudinal portion 36, a transverse portion 31 and a lowerlongitudinal portion 36, of the rib 34, tapers gradually towards the side-face 39 of the body 49 of the needle, in an upward direction, and merges therewith in the zone'4l, while the lower portion 38 of the rib 34 tapers gradually towards the side-face 39 of the needle 49 and merges therewith in the zone 42. The crest of the rib is a horizontal line at or just slightly below the point 43.

A loop-engaging or loop-lifting shoulder 44 is provided along the upper edge of thetransferrib portion 3'1, which is adapted to engage the loop 45, in the manner shown in Figure 16, when the stitch-transfer needle is raised; the loop being spread across the combined width of the needle body 40 and the rib 34, the distance indicated by the arrows 46.

The loop-engaging shoulder 44 extends generally transversely and is more or less at a right angle to the rear edge 41 of the needle 49 or at a slight inclination thereto; said shoulder 44 extending from the front edge 48 of the needle to a point more or less halfway across the width of the needle (the word width here referring tothe width 59 of the needle, as viewed in Figures 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 16). The portion 49 of the front edge of the needle is thereby set back, as shown in Figures 1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 13 and 16.

The side 59 of the rib-portion 36 is spaced a substantial distance from the rear edge 41 of the needle, namely, at a distance equal to or slightly greater than the depth of the needle-receiving groove 32 in the needle-bed 3! (or in the corresponding dial-needle-bed).

The off-set loop-spreading rib 34 composed of portions 36, 3'! and 38) is preferably formed by pressing, in a suitable set of cooperating dies, so as to raise the rib directly out of the bodymetal of the needle; leaving a corresponding recess in the opposite face or side 5| of the needle, composed of corresponding portions 52, 53 and 54, respectively. This may be done by a coining type of die.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, I also provide a recess 55 in the face or side 39 of the needle, between the edge 59 of the rib 34 and the rear edge 41 of the needle; the recess 55 being of a depth more or less half the thickness 33 of the needle, or as much deeper than one-half such thickness as may be possible while yet retaining sufiicient wall-thickness 56 back of the recess 55. The recess 55 is preferably milled in, with its ends 51 and 58 gradually curved or tapered towards the face or side 39 of the needle; the gradual curved or raised end-surface 5'! of the recess 55 serving to guide and deflect the hook of the stitch-receiving needle of the other bank, so as to guide it onto the face 39 of the needle 49 as the needle 49 is extended in relation to the coacting needle of the other bank. The inclined end-surface 58 of the recess 55 is at a point generally in alignment with the merging-zone 42 between the rib-portion 38 and the face 39 of the needle, so that when the hook of the co-acting stitch-receiving needle is guided (by the surface 58) onto the face or side 39 of the needle 49, such hook will be below the rib-portion 38, so that such co-acting stitch-receiving needle may then be extended further (by another throw or rise of its operating cam in the cam-box or on cam-ring) with its hook passing the front edge 48 of the needle 49, without the hook running into the side of the rib-portion 38.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12, the-lower portion 55-a of the recess. 55 extends further across the width 59 6 of the needle (Figure 10), more or less to the side 60 of the rib-portion 38, so as to permit the hook of the co-acting stitch-receiving needle of the other bank to be advanced more continuously as the needle 40 is advanced for the stitch-transfer operation.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 13, 14, 15 and 16, a recess 61, somewhat similar to the recesses 55 and 55-a (of the embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 12, inclusive), is provided; with the recess 6| being disposed at an angle to the rear edge 41 of the needle, so that it has only a single tapered or curved end-surface 62 (corresponding to the end-surface 58 in Figures 7, 9, 10 and 12).

The recess 61 is also preferably milled in, with the inclined end-surface 62 thereof so disposed in relation to the rib-merger zone 42, as to bring the needle hook 63 past the rib-portion 38, as indicated in Figure 16. The end-wall 64 of the recess 6| is preferably flat and may be more or less at a right angle to the face 39 of the needle.

By reason of the loop-spreading rib 34, the loop 45, on the needle 48, is spread open with a clearance substantially greater than the thickness 33 of the needle, namely, the loop is spread open to a clearance equal to the distance 46 (Figure 5) between the side or face 5! of the needle and the crest-line 43 of the loop-spreading rib 35. Thus, as the stitch-receiving needle 65 of the other needle-bank advances toward the needle 49, for the stitch-transfer operation, namely, to take the loop 45 from the needle 49 onto the needle 65 (Figure 16), the loop 45 Will be sufliciently open to insure the entry of the hook 53 of the needle 65 into and through the loop 45.

In the transfer-needle of the present invention this lateral spreading of the loop is accomplished Without interfering with the full guidance of the needle 40 in the needle-guiding groove 32 of the needle-bed, as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 2, because of the relationship between the rib 34 and front and rear edges 48 and 41 of the needle As shown in Figure 2, the fore-cut 56 of the needle-bed 3! may be formed off-center in relation to the needle-groove 32 with more of the width of the fore-cut on that side of the needle-groove 32 towards which the rib 34 projects, so as to provide more clearance for the ribbed front part of the needle and for the thread-thickness. Thus, the clearance 61 between the projection-less face 5| of the needle 49 and the side 68 of the fore-cut 66 should be suflicient to accommodate the thickness of the thread, while the clearance 69 between the projection-bearing face 39 of the needle 49 and the side '49 of the fore-cut 66 is increased to the maximum amount of the lateral projection at the crest-line 43 of the rib 34 (plus working clearance). The fore-cut may be extended downwardly suihciently far to give clearance for the rib 34 throughout the movement of the needle.

In the embodiment of the invention shown particularly in Figures 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, one of the needle-beds may be racked in relation to the other needle-bed, in order to permit the needle which is to receive the stitch to pass just alongside the ribbed side of the needle from which the stitch is to be removed. In the embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 7 to 16, inclusive, such racking may be unnecessary because of the provision of the recesses 55 (and 55-11) and 3| in the face 39 of the needle,- which recess cooperates with the rib 35 on the same face of the needle, fdfguidirig the receiving needle past the rib.

The stitch-transfer needle .of the present invention has the advantage of greater durability and greater certainty of action, and is also less expensive to manufacture.

In the forms of construction shown in Figures 17 to 35, inclusive, .the rib or bridge is pressed further out of the plane of the body of the needle 40, so that its rear edges 56-a and 50-23 will be sheared completely from the body of the needle and separated therefrom in the manner indicated more particularly in Figures 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 32, 33 and 35; while yet retaining rigid connection with the body of the needle 40 in the upper and lower merger-zones 4| and 42. The rib or bridge 75, like the rib or bridge 34 is offset and formed of two generally longitudinal portions 76 and i8, off-setting relation to each other, corresponding to the portions 36 and 38, respectively, of the rib or bridge 34 shown in Figures 1 to 16, inclusive, and an intervening transverse portion TI, corresponding to the portion 31 of the rib 3 3 in Figures 1 to 16, inelusive. The intervening bridge-portion l'i carries the loop-engaging shoulder i l.

The rear euge ell-a of the bridge-portion '56 may be separated slightly from the ad acent edge 79 of the needle body, as indicated particularly in Figures 19 and 20, by stamping or milling out a narrow strip of the metal intermediate the edges Ell-a and 19 or by otherwise forming such separation or gap, or said edges may be in direct alignment with each other as shown particularly in Figures 31, 33 and 34, such alignment being obtainable by shearing the raised part of the bridge 16 by a shearing operation at a right angle to the Plane of the body 40.

In the embodiment of the invention shown particularly in Figures 1'7 to 20, inclusive, a camming recess 55, similar to the recess 55 shown in Figures 7 to 12, inclusive, is milled into the body of the needle on the same side from which the bridge or rib 15 extends laterally, so as to receive the stitch-receiving needle in the manner heretofore described in reference to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 7 to 12, inclusive, and also in reference to the embodiment shown in Figures 13 to 16, inclusive.

In the embodiment shown particularly in Figures 17 to 20, inclusive, the portion of the inclined camming surface 52, which is intermediate the projected edge-line Bil-a of the body of the needle and the ed e 50-12 of the bridge, namely the portion designated generally as 53-a, is made to conform to the inclined camming shape of the surface 58, by breaching, after the surface 58 has been milled.

In the embodiments of the inventions shown in Figures 17 to 39, inclusive, the transverse distance 1! between the rear edge fill-a of the bridgeportion 16 and the rear edge 4? of the needlebody 40, is slightly greater (by a one, two or three thousandths of an inch) than the radial depth 72 of the needle-groove 32,.

In this form of construction, namely, that shown in Figures 1'7 35, inclusive, the fore-cut 10 may be disposed symmetrically with respect to the median plane of the needle-groove 32, as shown particularly in Figures 21, 22 and 30.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 25 to 35, inclusive, instead of forming the recesses 55, to accommodate the hook-end of the stitch-receiving needle which co-acts with hr nsfer needle 40, the rear edge 4! of the needle-body may be developed as indicated at 80, particularly in Figures 26, 28, 29 and 33, to deflect the hook-end of the oncoming stitch-receiving needle, and thereby to force it to the side 39 of the stitch-transfer needle 40, although, if desired, the needle may be formed, without any such camming surface, as, for instance, shown in Figure 25, and the hook-end of the stitchreceiving needle may be brought to the side 39 of the stitch-transfer needle 40, by racking one needle-bed in relation to the other needle-bed an amount just sufficient to permit the stitch-receiving needle to pass by and closely adjacent to the side 39 of the stitch-transfer needle 40, for a stitch-transferring operational cycle. In Figures 31 to 33, a further modified embodiment of the present invention is shown and, in these figures, there is also shown, more fully, the manner of forming the various parts of the bridge 75 and cam 80.

Thus, the cam-surface B6 is formed by a truncated conical end-milling tool 8! shown in dotted lines in Figures 32 and 33; Figure 32 showing the two terminal positions or two extreme positions of the end-milling tool 8|, so as to terminate the beveled or camming-surface 8G in curved terminal portions 82 and 83.

The bridge '15, as shown more particularly in Figures 31 to 33, inclusive, may be made thinner or may be thinned out in its center portion, by a drawing of the bridge-metal which is sheared from the main body of the needle and pressed out of the plane thereof. The forming punch for the formation of the bridge 75 is preferably also chamfered at an angle of from 15 to 30 degrees, more or less, as indicated in Figure 33, so that the inner surface 84 of the bridge will be inclined toward the rear edge -0. or" the bridge. This permits the hook 63 of the stitch-receiving needle 65 to be deflected beneath the bridge-portion 76, if the hook 63 should be advanced in alignment with the bridge-portion E6. In the forms of construction or embodiments shown in Figures 17 to 35, inclusive, the hook-end 33 of the stitch-receiving needle 85 may be advanced in back of the bridge to a point indicated by the line 85, before the stitch-transfer needle 43 is raised high enough for the mergerzone 42 to be above the hook 63 of the stitchreceiving needle 65, as indicated more particularly in Figure 28.

The stitch-engaging shoulder 44 is preferably advanced slightly in front of the front edge 48 of the needle 43, and this advancement may be accomplished by thinning out or swaging the metal of the bridge as the bridge is press-formed or dieformed, or by stamping the body of the metal out of the wider strip of metal, to the shape shown, particularly in Figure 31.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 23 and 31 to 35, the entire rear edge of the bridge 15 is in alignment with the corresponding edge of the body of the needle, from which the bridge was sheared, as shown more particularly in Figure 31.

The stitch-engaging or loop-engaging shoulder id may also be inclined slightly rearwardly or upwardly or downwardly.

By the stitch-transfer needles of the present invention, a more effective stitch-transfer may be accomplished, and the stitch-transfer needles of the present invention are generally more durable and less expensive to manufacture and are generally more dependable in operation.

Moreover, by the stitch-transfer needles of the present invention, the cams required for efiect ing the stitch-transfer cycles of the stitch-delivering needles and of the stitch-receiving needles may be simplified. Thus, instead of requiring multiple rises and wells, a single rise may be used for the advancement of the stitch-receiving needle for the transfer-cycle, and, likewise, a single rise may be used on the cam for advancing the stitchdelivering needle for the transfer-cycle. Thus,

the stitch-receiving needle designated generally by the numeral 65, may be advanced continuously which permits the hook of the oncoming receiving needle to come partly behind the bridge 15 or more particularly behind the bridge-portion it, as

the stitch-delivery needle (l advances for the,

transfer operation.

.; 'In Figures 36 to 39, inclusive, a still further modified embodiment of the present inventiomis shown, in which the lower portion IE-a of the bridge T is extended forwardly, to aiford'a greater 2 clearance for the hook 63 of the stitch-receiving needle 55, so that the hook 63 may advance to a point indicated by the numeral 86 before clearing the merger-zone 42.

In Fi ures 40 and 41, a still further modified embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which only the upper end or merger-zone 4| of the bridge is ri idly or integrally connected with the main body of the needle, while the lower end A2-a thereof is not affixed to the body of the needle, but bears resiliently against a rigid detent abutment or stop-member 42-h, which may be pressed or swaged out of the body of the needle. In this manner, if the oncoming hook 63 of the stitch-receiving needle 65 is advanced beneath the bridge in the manner indicated in Figures 40 and 41, before the stitch-transfer needle has risen to a point where the hook 63 is below the zone 32, then, instead of damaging the stitch-receiving needle, the stitch-receiving needle may pass between the lower unconnected end 42-a of the bridge i5 and the body of the needle, by forcing the lower end 42-a outwardly into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 40.

After it has so passed from beneath the bridge,

the stitch-receiving needle will then ride up on the outside of the bridge, as in the previouslydescribed embodiments of the invention.

In any of the embodiments of the invention shown, the two banks of needles may be racked, in relation to each other, an amount approximately one-half of the tota1 clearance required for the stitch-receiving needle to pass by the stitch-transfer needle, so that each of these two needles will take up approximately one-half of the total deflection or springing required in the transfer operation.

While Figures 31 to 35, inclusive, are both to scale and are dimensioned and while the dimensions shown thereon are dimensions of an actual embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that these dimensions are given merely for purposes of illustration and that these dimensions can be varied and necessarily would be varied according to the size or gauge of the needle. Nor need the proportions indicated by these dimensions be maintained, as these proportions can also be varied.

The curved rear edge may also act as a cam when the co-acting stitch-receiving needle is dethe following:

,flected slightly for the stitch-transfer. operation as it rides up on the bridgeor-as the bridge rides on past the stitch-receiving'needle.

Thus, because of thecurved character-of the rear edge, there is no tendency forthe bridge to hook or otherwise forcibly engage and bend down the stitch-receiving needle.

Having thus described my-invention, I claim 1. A stitch-transfer knittingneedle having a loop-spreading bridge projecting laterally therefrom along the front edge-zone of the needle. out of the plane of the portion of the, needlebody adjacent to the bridge, said bridge having both ends thereof merging into. and rigidly connected with the portion of themain body of the needle adjacent to and longitudinally coextensive with the bridge, and a'loop-enga'ging shoulder, on

said bridge intermediate its ends, said shoulder being disposed generally transversely fof the needle and extending generally in the direction-of the front edge of the needle.

2. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle having a loop-spreading bridge projecting laterally therefrom along the front edge-zone -ofthe-needle, out of the plane of the portionof the'needleshoulder on said bridge in proximity of its zone of maximum lateral projection, said shoulder being disposed generally transversely of the needle and extending generally in the direction of the front edge of the needle.

3. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle having a loop-spreading bridge projecting laterally therefrom along the front edge-zone of the needle, out of the plane of the portion of the needlebody adjacent to the bridge, said bridge having both ends thereof merging into and rigidly connected with the portion of the main body of the needle adjacent to and longitudinally coextensive with the bridge, a loop-engaging shoulder on said bridge intermediate its ends, said shoulder being disposed generally transversely of the needle and extending generally in the direction of the'front edge of the needle, and a camsurface formed on the body of the needle in operative alignment with said bridge.

4. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle having a loop-spreading bridge projecting laterally therefrom along the front edge-zone of the needle, out of the plane of the portion of the needlebody adjacent to the bridge, said bridge having both ends thereof merging into and rigidly connected with the portion of the main body of the needle adjacent to and'longitudinally coextensive with the bridge, a loop-engaging shoulder on said bridge intermediate its ends, said shoulder being disposed generally transversely of the needle and extending generally in the direction of the front edge of the needle, and a cam-surface formed along the rear edge of said bridge.

5. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle having an ofi-set loop-spreading rib projecting laterally therefrom along its front edge-zone, said rib having an intermediate portion thereof separated from the body of the needle and having both ends thereof merging into and rigidly connected with the portion of the main body of the needle adjacent to and longitudinally coextensive with the rib, and a loop-engaging shoulder on said rib intermediateits ends, said nected with-the portion: of the main body of; the needle adjacent to and longitudinally coextensivewiththe rib, a loop-engaging shoulder on said rib intermediate its ends, said shoulder being disposed generally transversely of theneedle and extending generally inthe direction of the front edge of the needle, and a cam-surface formed in the body of the needle intermediate therib and the rear edge of the body of the needle, disposed in operative alignment. with said rib.

7. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle having an off-set loop-spreading rib projecting laterally therefrom alongi'ts frontedge-zone, said rib having an intermediate porti'on-fthereof separated from the body of the needle and having both ends thereof merging into and rigidly connected with the portion of the main body of the needle adjacent to and longitudinally coextensive with the rib, a loop-engaging shoulder on said rib intermediateits ends, said shoulder being dis- I2 posed generally transversely of the needle andextending generally in the direction of the front edge of the needle, and a. cam-surface along the rear edge of said rib.

8'. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle having a. loop-spreading bridge projecting laterally and forwardly therefrom along the front edge-zone ofthe needle, the lateral projection of said bridge being out of the plane of the portion of the needle-body generally adjacent to the bridge and the forward projection of said bridge being forwardly of the main front edge of the shank ofthe: needle, both ends of thebridgebeing rigid and integral with the main body of the needle, and a loop engaging shoulder on said bridge intermediate its ends, said shoulder being disposed generally'transversely of the needle and generally in the direction of the front edge of the needle.

RUDOLPH E. ZERUNEITH.

REFERENCES CITED- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number. Name Date 2,146,029 Kunzmann, Feb. 7, 1939 2,188,125 Wigley Jan. 23, 1940 2,249,080 Holmes July 15, 1941 2,292,940 Holmes et a1 Aug. 11, 1942 2,397,456 Sirm'ay Mar. 26, 1946 

